Center for Gender Studies

Teaching Opportunities in Gender Studies

Problems in the Study of Gender Co-teaching Positions

Description: Applicants may be from any University of Chicago doctoral program and should have strong backgrounds in gender and sexuality studies. The student co-teacher must be at least a third year graduate student and have passed departmental preliminary exams (or the equivalent) by October 1, 2015. The teaching arrangement in each of these sections is to be determined by individual faculty.

Gender and Sexuality in World Civilizations Teaching Internship

Description: An internship in this sequence is a one quarter commitment. The intern must be at least a third year graduate student at the University of Chicago; interns may come from any department, but must be working in an area of study related to the subject matter covered in the sequence. Teaching interns will assist faculty with various aspects of instruction as preparation for the possibility of teaching their own section in the years following.

This two-quarter sequence aims to expand students’ exposure to an array of texts – theoretical, historical, religious, literary, visual -- that address the fundamental place of gender and sexuality in the social, political, and cultural creations of different civilizations. It fulfills the Civilizational requirements in the College. At least wo sections of GSWC I will be taught in Fall, 2015, and at least two sections of GSWC II will be taught in Winter, 2016.

The first quarter offers a theoretical framing unit that introduces concepts in feminist, gender, and queer theory, as well as two thematic clusters, “Kinship” and “Creativity and Cultural Knowledge.” The “Kinship” cluster includes readings on marriage, sex and anti-sex, love and anti-love, and reproduction. The “Creativity and Cultural Knowledge” cluster addresses the themes of authorship and authority, constructing and contesting the canon, and the debates over the influence of “difference” on cultural forms.

Three thematic clusters make up the second quarter. “Politics” focuses on texts related to activism/movement politics and women’s rights as human rights and the question of universalism. “Religion” contextualizes gender and sexuality through examinations of a variety of religious laws and teachings, religious practices, and religious communities. “Economics” looks at slavery, domestic service, prostitution as labor, consumption, and the gendering of labor in contemporary capitalism.

Theories of Gender and Sexuality

Description: “Theories of Gender and Sexuality” is a new one-quarter seminar-style introductory course for undergraduates. It is a program requirement for Gender and Sexuality Studies majors and minors. Its aim is triple: to engage scenes and concepts central to the interdisciplinary study of gender and sexuality; to provide familiarity with key theoretical anchors for that study; and to provide skills for deriving the theoretical bases of any kind of method. Students will produce descriptive, argumentative, and experimental engagements with theory and its scenes as the quarter progresses. Prior course experience in gender/sexuality studies (by way of the Civilization Core or other coursework) is strongly advised.

• The TA must be at least a third year graduate student at the University of Chicago, and may come from any department; the TAmust be working or have worked in an area of study related to gender and/or sexuality in a way that explicitly mobilizes theoretical concepts and questions of method. .

• The TAs duties may include holding office hours, leading discussions, grading papers and exams, or training in pedagogic methods.

Advanced Theories of Gender and Sexuality Co-teaching Position

Description: Applicants may be from any University of Chicago doctoral program and should have strong backgrounds in gender and sexuality studies. The student co-teacher must be at least a third year graduate student and have passed departmental preliminary exams (or the equivalent) by October 1, 2015. The teaching arrangement in each of these sections is to be determined by individual faculty. Candidates on the short list will be interviewed by Gender and Sexuality Studies faculty after applications are submitted. Interviews will focus on the teaching statement.

The teaching statement should indicate the following:
A sketch of your vision of what an advanced course in gender and sexuality theory should be. This sketch should specify what kinds of materials you would have students read/view/study, what assignments you would have them do, what topics you think are especially important, how you would determine grades. It is important that the sketch/syllabus address issues of gender/feminism or sexuality, but it is not at all necessary that it follow the model of earlier syllabi for Advanced Theories. We would, in fact, like to encourage innovation and methodological diversity. Please do not hesitate to invent and present your own version of this course. This statement can take the form of a draft syllabus, or it can be laid out in a summary statement. Please note that this is the most time-consuming and important part of the application. The time spent on it will be useful to you, however, as you move onto the job market and need to present syllabi and ideas on teaching.

The intellectual biography should indicate the following:
1. Your status in graduate work (field(s), date(s) of exams taken or scheduled, descriptions of dissertation projects, including number of chapters written).
2. Your experience in the areas of feminist, gender, GLBTQ scholarship, criticism, or theory. Please include a description of course work, projects, activist background, or other relevant experience.
3. Your teaching experience, at the University of Chicago or elsewhere.
4. Your current and future scholarly focus.
5. Other teaching positions and fellowships for which you are applying, if they would preclude you from teaching the course (we will need to construct a list of alternates).

B.A. Preceptorship

Description: Preceptors teach a two quarter-long course (in Autumn and Winter Quarters) in feminist/gender/sexuality issues and help students through their paper drafts in Spring Quarter. Applicants may come from any doctoral program but must be at least third year students and have passed departmental preliminary exams (or the equivalent) by October 1, 2015. Preference will be given to applicants who have taught or interned for a GSS course.

Free-standing Course Lectureships

Description: Free-standing courses should address topics related to gender and/or sexuality and be generally accessible to undergraduates in all majors. Applicants may be from any division or professional school. Students applying to teach must have passed their preliminary examinations by October 1, 2015.

CSGS will fund at least three Free-Standing Course in the College on topics related to gender and/or sexuality. Past courses have included: “Religion, Gender, and Agency”; “Girlhood in American Literature”; “Masculinity in America, Past and Present”; and “Sex and the State.” The grad teaching selection committee is looking for courses that will be of general interest to College students interested in issues or theories of gender and sexuality.

Interviews of short-listed applicants (in person or by phone or Skype) may be held. Students also applying in their home department are expected to submit a different course to Gender and Sexuality Studies. Early applications are welcome.